Hi You All
A while back I bought a Bachmann, low hood SD7 with Great Northern paint. This started me looking for SD7s on rail pics and else where. I have found GP7s but few SD7s and no SD7s with low hoods. Is that a goof by Bachmann or just a rarity by GN? [:D] Its a slow day and the mind starts to wonder.[:-^]
Have a good day
Lee
Lee,
I am uaware of a Bachmann SD7 in either HO or N. I know Bachmann has made a SD45 in GN(orange/green). Is that the engine you have? All of the GN SD45’s were delivered with a low nose, and in both orange/green & Big Sky Blue paint schemes.
The GN SD7’s were all delivered with a high nose…P2K has a nice model. No prototype SD7 was delivered with a low nose - they had not been invented yet!
Jim
Jim
you are right is is a high nose, got it mixed up with a GP. I still have seen only one or two SD7s pictured, must have been very rare.
Lee
Hi Lee,
According to the website greatnorthernempire.net The GN rostered 23 SD7’s they were # 550-572. the website even gives what paint scheme each wore, and gives the disposition to the second change after leaving BN/BNSF, two units still show as in active service as of the most recent update.
The website also shows an SD9-3 with a low short hood painted for BNSF, still apparently in service, with a photo date of March 26, 2004.
Wikipedia shows that a total of 188 SD7’s were built. The SP was the largest original owner with 42 units, followed by the CB&Q with 37 units and the MILW with 24 units. Plus numerous smaller fleets including 10 units on the Union Pacific.
Doug
Good job, thanks
Maybe the SDs are just camera shy. It does seem like 188 is a fairly small run.
My SD is numbered 569 so that would be correct for GN.
Good day.
Lee
Hi Lee,
I’m sure that EMD was more than Happy to get orders for 188 units. The SD7’s were 6 axle versions of the GP7’s, with the same 1500 HP rating. The very similar SD 9’s were the 6 axle version of the 1750 HP GP 7’s. Like the GP 7/9’s, the SD 7/9’s had very few external differences between them. The later SD 9, had a total of 515 units produced with 471 made for domestic customers and 44 for export customers. That would make for a total of 703 SD 7/9’s built altogether.
This is a pic of an SD 9, a former SP unit now in use at the Nevada Northern Railway Museum, in Ely, NV
The Nevada Northern # 204, is part of the NNRy’s EFD(Engineer For a Day) Program, and is available for rental.
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The NNRy’s 4-6-0 # 40 is also part of their EFD Program, and available for rental as well.
The NNRy, also has a couple of Alco RS 2/3’s available in their EFD program, as well as the 2-8-0, #93. I was fortunate enough to get to run both the #204 and the #40, in July of 2007. The EFD program was an indescribable experience, one that I would reccomend whole heartedly, to anyone who is able to do it.
Doug
Just remember to run them GN SD7 & SD9 units long hood forward. Until the GP30’s and U25B’s were added to the GN motive power stable all the hood units ran long hood front.
GN used many of their SD7’s in iron ore operations, I have a couple of videos/DVDs that shows them in action. You might not find much on the web, but if you pick up a book on the GN or Dorin’s Iron Ore Railroads book you’ll see pics of them.
As noted, no low-nose GN SD7’s, GN ran them long nose forward like all their early road switchers.
I don’t think the SD7’s lasted long enough, but a fair nunmber of SD9’s made it into BNSF paint by the way…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kmadsen/2584056075/
But in any case, Bachmann still has never made an SD7, so not sure what you have ?? AFAIK the only SD7’s out there are the Proto ones, or brass.
I sure embarrassed myself on the OP, Grandpa always told me make sure the brain was engaged before putting mouth in gear. The SD7 is a new lifelike, and the low nose is GP35 that I have been putting together from parts. It still lacks hand rails. I guess I was thinking about both at the same time. I was away for a few days so most people may have lost interest in this post.
Anyway I may strip the GP35 again and repaint it.The paint I used to dull the paint was from a spray can and still feels tacky.
Have a good day[:D]
Lee
Well, the paint scheme isn’t correct for the GN “simplified” green and orange anyway, so maybe it would be worth another try. [:)]
Yes I did take some liberties with GN GP35 # 3017, but it was my first try at painting models. Wanted to keep costs down, had the white letters on hand and I like the gold pin stripes. [:-^] Wasn’t sure the paint would turn out well. Thanks for the critique though.
Happy railroading.
Lee
The masking / painting might be easier if you went “Big Sky Blue”…sky blue and dark gray, you could maybe use a decal for the white separating stripe??